Silent Witness
by Wolfy
Summary: [Complete] Squall's sister Hannah, who he never knew he had, has been murdered. Not knowing what to do next, he learns a beautiful wolf holds the key to unlocking the mystery of his sister's complex and brutal murder.
1. The Mysterious Creature

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or any of its characters.  

A/N: This is an idea that just sorta popped into my head as I was playing FF8 and listening to Shakira.  Neither of them really _inspired_ me, but that's when I got the idea… ^_^  Anywayz, here it is!

            Everything was going great.  Squall Leonheart, the ex-lone wolf, was now just a regular guy.  He felt reformed, cleansed, liberated – finally.  He didn't have to be afraid to be who he really was inside.  He didn't have to hide what he felt, for he knew his friends would understand and be there for him no matter what.  He wished for life to always be this way.  He never wanted it to suddenly make a turnaround to where it used to be.  It was a gloomy, lonely world, and he no longer wished to be part of it.

            He had been sitting on a bench in Balamb, letting the beautiful sunshine wash over his handsome features.  He took pleasure in the outdoors more so than before.  He respected it, from the dirt beneath his boots to the highest cloud in the heavens.  He glanced around, watching the people as they passed him by.  So many people in the world, so little time to get to know them.  He even surprised himself at how pleasant he felt that day.  It seemed like nothing in the cosmos could go wrong, and he liked feeling that way.  

            A light tap on his shoulder caused him to jump slightly, but only because he had been so comfortable and unwary.  He turned to look into the face of Rinoa Heartilly.  Whenever he saw her, he felt a sense of kindheartedness radiating from her.  He cherished her probably more than any man could ever show to a woman.  "Hi Squall!" she said cheerily.  "Mind if I sit down?"  She beamed at him, her chocolate eyes sparkling.  

            Squall nodded and scooted over.  "Sure."

            "What are you doing here?  I thought you'd be training or something," Rinoa said with a giggle.

            "I wanted to get some fresh air," Squall replied.  "What about you?  What are you doing here?  Not that I mind…"

            "Well… Selphie and Irvine are going out tonight… Quistis and Seifer are going out tonight… and Zell finally got a date with Tarah, that girl that he had a crush on for the _longest _time."

            "Your point being…?"  Squall wasn't trying to sound rude, he just wanted to know what she meant by what she had said.

            "_We _should do something too," Rinoa said in a devious manner.  "You know… like a date."

            Squall nodded, a smile beginning to spread across his lips.  "Okay.  What do you wanna do?"

            Rinoa took Squall's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.  "Let's go to the beach and watch the sunset."  She hoped he didn't think it sounded clichéd, but she thought it would be exceptionally romantic.  

            "If that's what you want to do, I'm all for it," he replied.  She almost gasped and looked him in the eyes.

            "Really?  You'll do it?" she was overjoyed.  A night with Squall at the beach?  It couldn't get much better than that.  After the battle with Ultimecia, they hadn't had too many "dates".  At least, not technically.  

            "Of course."  He leaned forward to kiss her, and she graciously returned it.

~*~*~*~

            The sun had just set.  The sky only had a few rays of copper and gold sunlight left in it.  The waves rolled in and out with low whooshing sounds.  Not much else was heard at the beach, as Squall and Rinoa leisurely walked along the shore, hand in hand.

            "This is kinda weird…" Rinoa commented with a slight laugh.

            Squall turned to her, an eyebrow arched.  "Weird?  How so?"

            She looked up at him, a smile still on her beautiful face.  "You and me… like this.  Who would've thought, huh?"

            "I don't care.  I just know that you're the most wonderful person that ever came into my life.  I don't know what I'd do without you."  He turned to her, seeing she was now in tears.  "What?"

            She wiped them away with the back of her hand and let out a light laugh.  "No, it's nothing.  It's just… that was so sweet, what you just said."  He put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so she was looking directly at him.  "Squall, I…"

            Before she could say anything else, he placed his lips against hers.  The kiss lasted for quite some time, until a rustling sound caused both of them to turn away from each other and towards where the sound had come from.

            Out from underneath one of the docks nearest to them, crept a pure white wolf.  No hint of any other color was in its fur, simply unpolluted colorlessness.  Its eyes were the clearest, most incandescent shade of cerulean.  The ocean itself wasn't even as blue as this creature's eyes.   

            Rinoa let out a gasp.  "Squall!"

            Squall bent down and picked up a seashell.  "Get outta here!" he shouted.  He launched the shell at the animal, hitting it square in the chest, but it didn't run off like every other animal would do.   It still stood there, it's deep eyes staring right through Squall.  "Come on!" Squall exclaimed, "Go!"

            The wolf threw back its head and let out a long sorrowful howl.  Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it slinked away in the blink of an eye.         

            "You didn't have to hurt it…" Rinoa commented as she regained her composure.  The animal hadn't really frightened her, but stunned her more.  

            Squall shook his head slowly.  "I didn't hurt it.  You saw the way it didn't run."

            "There was something odd about it…"

~*~*~*~

            The next morning, Squall was informed that Headmaster Cid wanted to see him – that he had news to tell him.  What it was, he couldn't even begin to deduce.  He thought nothing of it as he walked into Headmaster Cid's office and sat down in the chair in front of his desk.  "You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

            Cid nodded slowly and removed his wire-framed glasses, placing them gently on his desk.  "Yes, I do.  Thank you for coming.  Do you know anyone by the name of Hannah?"

            "Hannah?"  Squall contemplated for a moment, then shook his head.  "No.  Who is she?"

            "She's… well… she's your younger sister, Squall."

            Squall was taken aback.  "My… my sister?  But, I don't have a - "

            "Yes, you do.  I received this letter today, explaining a terrible event, which happened two nights ago.  It seems you knew nothing about her, so I assume this would not affect you very, but I felt you should know either way."

            Squall took the piece of paper from Headmaster Cid's outstretched hand, and carefully read it:

_Dear Mr. Squall Leonheart,_

_            I am terribly sorry to have to pass this dreadful news along to you.  On the morning of July 7th, Miss Hannah Leonheart, 15, was brutally murdered in an alley at approximately 4:43 am, at the hands of a still unidentified person.  It is not even known if the slaughterer was even a male or female, but please rest assure that we are doing our best to catch this horrid individual.  A funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Riverston Memorial Cemetery.  The citizens of Riverston offer our condolences.  Again, we are very sorry._

_                                                                                                Sincerely,_

_                                                                                                   President Clayton Hampton         _

            "I… I don't understand…  How couldn't I have known I had a sister?" Squall wondered aloud.  He had been in an orphanage all his life, and there was never any mention of any siblings.  If he _did _have a sister, why wasn't she in the orphanage with him?  He had a billion questions, but no one to answer them.  Or at least… he thought.

You like?  If you do, drop me a review, but if you don't, please don't flame me, or at least be gentle about it.  Flames hurt my feelings…  Anyway, if I get a few good reviews, I'll continue.  It may be boring at first, but believe me, I have an interesting plot in mind for this fic.  Thanx!

 


	2. The Funeral

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII or any of its characters.  The original characters however, I _do _own.  

A/N: Thanx to Angel Greenleaf, ColdBlackFlames (my two best net buddies in the whole world!) and Keitaro for their kind reviews.  Love ya'll!

            Squall sat in his quiet dormitory, all alone.  He never thought he would be having these thoughts again.  He was thinking about once again isolating himself.  But he knew he couldn't do that.  Not after what it had taken everyone to get him to come out of his shell.  _Anything _was better than the way it felt to consistently be alone.  He knew it was stupid to be so in a state about this.  Hannah Leonheart.  He didn't even know the girl, so why was it such a major concern that she was deceased?  Well, she was his sister.  Flesh and blood.  But he didn't see how him showing his face at her funeral was showing respect to her.  He, in fact, thought of it as being horribly _disrespectful_.  Showing up at a complete stranger's funeral and saying nice things that didn't mean anything to him.  That was pure and utter insolence.  But everyone else seemed to feel differently about it.  

            A soft knock came to his door, interrupting his thoughts, aggravating him slightly.  Rinoa stood there uneasily.  "Can I…  Can I come in?" she asked softly.

            His eyes traveled from her face down to the floor.  He nodded.  She strode in and sat beside him on the bed, resting a hand on his strong shoulder.  "Squall, you have to make a decision," she stated softly, "The funeral is in two hours.  You have just enough time to get there."  She hadn't meant anything by it, but Squall took it completely wrong.

            "Who says I have to go anyway?!" he demanded as he stood.  " I didn't even know the girl for Hyne's sake!  What should I go and do Rinoa?  Should I go and say 'Well, she was a wonderful person, but I never met her in my life'?!"

            Rinoa narrowed her dark eyes.  Usually, she didn't let Squall's attitude get to her, but for some reason, it was now.  "Squall, I can't believe you!  She was your _sister_!  How can you just… not care this way?!"

            Squall shook his head.  "Look…"  He spoke more calmly.  "If you think it's _that _important… I'll go."  Rinoa's face didn't change.  She simply stood and exited the room with a low 'I'll see you later'.   Squall sighed, contemplating between chasing after her or making his way outside to his car.  He chose the latter.

~*~*~*~

            He felt incredibly uncomfortable at the funeral.  He knew he had no place being there, sister or not.  No one said one word to him the entire time.  A few people whispered among themselves that Hannah looked a great deal like Squall, but no one had ever approached him about the subject.  

            He walked slowly up to the open casket.  Everyone was getting a final chance to say their goodbyes before they lowered the beautiful pearl and gold coffin into the earth.  Squall had never been to a funeral before, and as he stepped towards Hannah's coffin, his palms grew sweaty and his throat became tight.

            Lying inside on a blood colored silk blanket, was a fifteen-year-old girl.  She was, simply put, gorgeous.  He thought it was rather morbid to think a dead young woman was beautiful, but he couldn't help feeling that way.  The way her makeup and hair were so perfectly done, and the elegant white dress she was in were stunning.  A peaceful expression adorned her pretty face.  Her long russet hair flowing like a river along her shoulders.  Squall admitted only to himself that they _did_ resemble each other.  It was proof that she really was his sibling.  He hadn't been able to admit he even had one until now.  "I'm sorry I never knew you," he whispered gently.  He stared at her for a while, and he first noticed that her wounds from the murder weren't visible.  She had to have either gone serenely, or her clothing covered her wounds.  He sighed and turned away.  He didn't have it in him to stay any longer.

~*~*~*~

            Squall ambled along the beach towards Garden slowly.  He didn't think seeing Hannah would sadden him as much as it did, but it had.  He felt as though he'd known her forever, and now she was gone.  But he hadn't, and that's what confused him so much.  Was it possible to care for someone you've never met, just because you're related?  That question spun through his mind as out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of snow white.  He turned fully to see that same white wolf staring him right in the face.  It's indescribably striking cobalt eyes glittering in the sunbeams.  It tilted its head to the side, almost as if it were waiting for Squall to speak.  "What do you want?" he asked.  He shook his head at his own stupidity.  "Yeah right…  Like you can actually understand me."

            The wolf howled mournfully, then turned its gaze towards a large cliff all the way at the other end of the shore.  Squall's eyes followed the wolf's.  "The cliff?  What about it?"

            The creature didn't remove its eyes from the cliff.  It howled once again, this time longer and louder.  Squall scoffed.  "This is so stupid."  He turned to the wolf, only to see it had disappeared without a trace.

Leave me a review!  If I get at least another good one, I'll continue!  ^_^ 


	3. Beaches And Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.

A/N: Thanx to all who reviewed!  Here's the next chapter!

            Rinoa's dorm door had been left open, so she saw Squall walk past it towards his own dorm rather hastily.  She set her book down on the table beside her bed and went over to the door, only sticking her head out to watch Squall as he entered his dorm and fairly noisily shut the door behind him.  It perplexed her as to why he was angry.  She could understand him being disheartened because of the funeral, but mad?  It didn't make much sense.  She crept out and down the hall, stopping in front of Squall's door.  "Squall?"

            "Go away," he said rather impolitely.  "I just…  I don't feel like having company right now."

            Rinoa blinked in surprise.  Why was he being so malicious?  "Well can you at least tell me what's wrong?" she said softly.

            "No.  Just leave me alone."  Squall laid down in bed and drew his knees up to his chest and sighed.  He closed his eyes.  Somehow he knew Rinoa was still standing on the other side of the door.  "I'm sorry Rinoa," he said, "I'll tell you later.  Right now I just wanna be left alone."  No tone of annoyance was in his words.

            Rinoa sighed noiselessly.  "All right.  I'll see you later Squall."

~*~*~*~

            It had been four hours, and Rinoa still hadn't heard from Squall yet.  Every now and then she'd walk back up to the dormitory and listen at his door to make sure he was still in there.  Each and every time, he was.  She was actually starting to get apprehensive about him.  Since when had he started isolating himself again?  She secretly hoped it was only a temporary thing and would eventually go away.  

            "Hey Rinoa!" Selphie shouted as she came bouncing up to her.  She had a cheerful look on her endearing face.  "Wanna go to the cafeteria?  Irvy was supposed to go with me, but him and Zell have to fix something up in Headmaster Cid's office.  I think it's the intercom system or something, I dunno."

            "Umm… sure.  I'll go with you."

            Selphie titled her head to the side quizzically.  She noticed Rinoa's manner was different that day.  "Somethin' wrong?" she asked naively.

            Rinoa shook her head.  "No.  Not with me anyway.  It's Squall.  Ever since he went to that funeral, he's locked himself up in his room and hasn't come out in four hours.  I hope he's all right."

            "Maybe it just made him gloomy.  Even though it doesn't always seem like it, I'm sure Squally has a soft side about things like that."  Selphie giggled a bit at her own words.

            "It just seems like there's… I don't know… more to it than that.  He was _fuming_ at first, then he got all melancholy.  It's…  It's strange."

            "When you get the chance, you'd better ask him about it."

            "Oh don't worry Selph.  I will."

~*~*~*~

            Rinoa had waited another hour and a half, spending most of that period of time with Selphie at the cafeteria.  She tried to pay attention to what her good friend was saying, but her mind kept drifting back to Squall.  She greatly wanted to find out what was wrong with him.  She also wanted to help him with whatever it was.  She just hoped it wasn't something that was beyond her control.  Then, she would _really _feel powerless.

            Rinoa unhurriedly made her way back to Squall's dorm door.  She put her ear to the door, straining her ears to listen for any noises inside.  She heard footsteps, then all of a sudden, the door swung open.  Squall blinked, shocked to see Rinoa standing there.  "Um… hi," she said.  He didn't say anything and just sighed.  "Squall, what's the matter?" she asked tenderly.

            "The funeral.  It was… worse than I thought it would be," he replied.  He went back into his dorm and sat on the edge of the bed.  Rinoa did the same.  "Why do I feel so awful?" he asked, his blue eyes pleading to her brown ones.  "I didn't even know her, Rin.  Why do I feel like this?"

            Rinoa hoped she didn't sound heartless when she spoke.  "Maybe it's because she didn't die of natural causes.  She was… murdered."  The last word she spoke hung in the air heavily.  It clenched Squall's heart and that's when he knew Rinoa was right.

            He nodded.  "I guess you're right.  But I can't even do anything about it.  And…"

            Rinoa waited for him to speak.  "And what?"

            He shook his head.  "No.  Forget it.  It's ridiculous."  Rinoa put her arms around his neck.

            "Squall, _nothing _you tell me is ridiculous.  Now, what did you wanna say?"  Squall stood up and paced the room leisurely, rubbing the back of his neck every now and then.

            "Do you remember that night when we were walking at the beach?  And that wolf that appeared out of nowhere?"

            Rinoa thought a moment, then nodded.  "Yeah.  I remember."

            "Well, after the funeral, I saw that same wolf.  It was really weird, because it left me with a sense of… I don't know… tranquility I guess.  It kept looking at this cliff on the other end of the beach."  He looked over at Rinoa, who was listening to him intently.  "It's stupid, I know."

            Rinoa stood up and took his hands in hers.  "It's not stupid, Squall.  If you think that somehow that wolf means something, then maybe we could try to find it."

            Squall didn't say anything.  He only nodded.

~*~*~*~

            It was already after one in the morning.  Squall and Rinoa walked up and down the beach to no end.  Rinoa was desperately trying to hide her drowsiness.  She didn't want Squall to think she didn't believe him about the wolf, but the idea _was _slightly far-fetched.  He seemed to wholeheartedly believe that the wolf held something important about his sister.  He insisted it was going to show up again.

            "Squall… it's late.  I think we should -- "

            "Shh!"  His eyes darted around the environment.  "I heard something."  He strained his eyes and ears to see if there was any trace of anything that could've made the noise.  He gave up and turned to Rinoa despairingly.  "I guess this _was _stupid.  I'm sorry for dragging you out like this.  Let's go."  He sounded outright miserable.  Rinoa looked past him and her coffee eyes grew wide.

            "Squall!" she whispered, "Oh my God!  Look!"  Squall turned to where Rinoa had been looking.  His eyes widened as well.  Standing before them was the wolf.  This time though, the creature wasn't a soothing sight as Squall had felt before.  It was a chilling and disturbing scene.  The wolf, previously pure white wolf, was now soiled with scarlet blood.  It splattered its entire body, but the animal didn't seem to be hurt or injured in any way.  It held something in its muzzle.  They couldn't distinguish what exactly the object was from that distance, so Squall let go of Rinoa's hand and slowly walked towards the wolf.  "Squall, don't!" she cried.

            Squall didn't listen to her and still made his way towards the bloodied animal.  It didn't move or even make the notion it was about to run away.  In fact, it let out a whine as Squall knelt down in front of it.  "It's all right," he murmured.  "I'm not going to hurt you."  Squall held out his hand, but before he could even touch the object the wolf was holding, it dropped it at his feet.  Squall picked it up, seeing it was a bloodied dagger.  He turned it over and over in his hands, not caring that blood was soiling his hands.  "Rinoa, look."

            Rinoa was fearful to come over to him, but she did and knelt beside him.  Her face holding a shocked expression as she saw what Squall held.  "Oh God…"

            "I wonder if this is how Hannah died," Squall said emotionlessly, "I wonder if she was stabbed to death."

            Rinoa put a hand on Squall's shoulder.  "Oh Squall…  I'm so sorry."  The both of them looked back up at the wolf, only to see it had once again disappeared.

Gettin' a bit creepy, ain't it?  Haha, just wait and see what happens next!!!!  Mwahahahahaha!!!  Review please! 


	4. Cliffhanger

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters. Except for Hannah and the wolf (unnamed as of now) nothing in this fic is mine.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I just like keeping people on the edge for a while... Mwahahaha!  
  
  
  
Rinoa curled up closer to Squall, letting out a sigh of contentment before falling back into a peaceful slumber. Squall felt heavy-eyed, finally, but he still couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept wandering back to that wolf. It was the most opposed being he had ever encountered. Even when he'd seen it all bloodied, it still held an air of pure peace and tranquility within itself. All it had to do was stare at you with its azure orbs, and you knew it held something special. But in this case, it held something not only special, but necessary as well.  
  
Squall had asked Rinoa to spend the night with him. Not because he felt... romantic. He wanted her with him because he was scared. He didn't want to be alone, especially now. Rinoa was the only one who knew about the wolf. If he told anyone else, they'd think he was crazy and put him away even. No. Rinoa was the only one who would understand.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a howl shattered through the silence of the warm summer night. It broke through dreams and nightmares, it sliced through peace and havoc... heaven and hell. It was the tie between the two opposing worlds, emotions and beings, but it was also the fine line between them. It seperated and bonded them. Squall slowly eased himself to his feet without disturbing the angel sleeping at his side. He peered out the window and into the night. "Where are you?" he whispered as the howling grew louder and more sorrowful.  
  
A flash of white appeared in the moonlight. The wolf had appeared again. It was summoning Squall outside, he knew that. But what for? Squall didn't even allow himself enough time to think it over. He grabbed his leather jacket from the doorknob and put it on over his white t-shirt. He silently said goodbye to Rinoa and exited Garden.  
  
The air was crisp and chilling despite the season. Squall rubbed his arms and walked further out into the open field in front of Balamb Garden. "That's funny..." he though aloud. "I could've sworn it was right here..." He continued out and towards the beach. It was quite a ways from Garden, so he figured the wolf hadn't gotten that far yet. And even if it did, Squall was sure he would've seen the whiteness of its coat against the sandy beach. Another howl broke out and Squall spun around, seeing the wolf standing there brilliantly. It carried itself proudly. Squall stood in wonderment, gazing at the enchanting creature. He felt the same way every single time he saw it - mesmerized.  
  
The wolf lolled it's head towards the same cliff it had shown Squall before. It was incredibly rubbly (A/N: If 'rubbly' is even a word O.o) and had sharp rocks jutting out from the side, and also lining the foot. The only way up it was to climb, which was extremely dangerous in itself. What if he was injured? Rinoa wouldn't be too happy about that. But still... the wolf motioned to that same cliff everytime he came in contact with it in this particular area. Maybe there was something hidden there. There was only one way to find out.  
  
Squall began heading towards the large cliff, and the wolf, surprisingly enough, led the way. "Hey!" Squall exclaimed as he tried to keep up with it. "Not so fast!" Just as Squall thought he was about to lose sight of the animal, it stopped short and allowed him to catch up. As soon as Squall did, the wolf took off again, this time, Squall was able to stay at it's side, but it was going the same speed as before. ~What's going on?~ Squall thought. He didn't get the chance to ponder the subject any longer, because both he and the wolf were now at the foot of the cliff, which he saw was much larger up close. He turned to the wolf at his side. "You sure about this?" The wolf did nothing and kept its gaze locked on the top of the cliff. Squall sighed. "All right then."  
  
He grasped the cliff and pulled himself up. He struggled and strained as the wolf just sat there, watching him intently.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Rinoa's head shot up from the pillow. "Squall?" She slid out of the bed and rubbed her eyes free of sleep. "Squall?" she repeated. "Where are you baby?" He definitly wasn't in the dorm room, so she opened the door and looked up and down the hall, noting that his jacket was missing from its usual place on the knob. She couldn't find Squall anywhere. She raced down the hall, not caring she was only in a tank top and short cloth shorts, and exited Garden. "Squall!!" she cried into the night. "Hyne it's cold out..." she muttered as she began walking towards the beach. She continued to call Squall's name, until a sudden rustling of bushes and a flash of white caused her to jump in fright.  
  
From the bushes crept the wolf - Squall's Wolf, as she called it. What was it doing here? It's eyes gleamed as it began racing towards the cliff. "Hey! Wait!" Rinoa began chasing after it. The wolf stopped quickly to make sure she was following, and when it knew she was, it began running again. Rinoa started breathing heavily and stopped, resting her upper body on her knees. "This... is... so... dumb!" she scolded herself between pants. She looked up and saw the wolf again. It howled and motioned for her to begin following it again, almost desperately. "No!" she shouted. "I'm trying to find Squall! Not chase after some wild animal!"  
  
The wolf pounced at her, sending her flying onto her back roughly. She let out a shriek, thinking it was going to maul her. It took her necklace in its jaws and snapped the chain from her neck. Then, it took off in the same direction it had been going before. "Hey! Stop you little thief!" Rinoa almost had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to lose that necklace. On it was the ring Squall had given her. It was very, very special to her. She chased after the wolf, soon ending up in the area it had led Squall previously. Rinoa stopped and sighed heavily, letting out a groan as well. "Will you *please* bring that back?!"  
  
She heard a soft whine and saw rustling in the tall grass that lined the spiked rocks at the foot of the cliff. She slowly proceeded in the direction of the noise. She parted the grass and gasped. "Squall! Oh Hyne!" She knelt down beside Squall's motionless body. His left arm was twisted underneath his body, his nose and lips were bloodied, and his right leg was visibly snapped in half.  
  
Rinoa turned to the wolf, suddenly realizing that it had only been trying to lead her to Squall and not cause her any trouble. She put her arms around the creature. "Thank you..." she whispered. It whined and licked her face to show it's affection. She let go of the wolf and stroked Squall's hair gently. His eyes were shut, so she wasn't sure if he was even alive, and she had no idea how to correctly check for a pulse, so she told the wolf to stay there with him while she went back to Garden for help.  
  
There's the next chapter! Now you don't think I'd be mean enough to let Squally die... or am I? Heh heh... guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out. ^_~ Oh yeah! And if you can think of any good names for the wolf, please let me know in your review, k? 


	5. Skyward

Disclaimer: I only own Hannah and the wolf, who will now be called Vision (thanx Satin Phoenix!)  
  
A/N: Hey everyone! I know it's been a while, but hopefully none of you forgot about this fic! I found a name for the wolf, thanx to the review of Satin Phoenix, so thank you so much!! And you are *not* a useless blob of bad existence. Lol!  
  
  
  
Squall awoke in the Infirmary, in quite a daze. Rinoa sat at the bedside, looking very relieved that he was awake again. He blinked a few times before attempting to sit up, but was shot back down due to the trememdous pain that radiated through his system. Rinoa placed a hand on his chest. "You should stay still. It won't hurt as much that way." He knew she was only trying to be helpful, but she was actually only stating the obvious.  
  
"I have to find Vision."  
  
Rinoa raised an eyebrow. "Vision...?"  
  
"The wolf," Squall corrected himself. "I... decided to call it Vision." He squirmed uncomfortably as if he were embarassed by the fact that the wolf now had a name. Rinoa didn't make the notion that she found it odd.  
  
"Squall, you can't. You have to stay in bed." Rinoa sounded more motherly than ever before. "The wolf, uh... Vision isn't going anywhere."  
  
"How do you know?" Squall hadn't meant to use that tone with the raven-haired girl, but it slipped out anyway. She narrowed her dark eyes and stood.  
  
"Squall, why do you have to be so stubborn? Can't you just relax for a measly day before parading out to the beach to find a wild animal?" This time, she *did* mean her tone. She sighed and sat back down, taking Squall's hand gently. "Please don't think that I'm being rude or insensitive. It's just... I don't want to see you hurt."  
  
Squall didn't answer her right away. "Rin... I don't know why, but Vision is... I know it sounds completely ridiculous, but I know that there's something at the top of that cliff. I don't know how I know, but I do. I can just feel it."  
  
Rinoa nodded slowly. "I understand. And I don't think it sounds crazy at all. But why risk your own life for it? I don't know how I know, but it's not gonna just pick up and leave." Squall gave her a funny look for using his own words against him, but didn't say anything. "How about this... I'll go up that cliff for you."  
  
Squall's eyes widened as he grasped her wrist tight. "You can't! It's too dangerous!"  
  
"That's exactly why I don't want *you* to go!" Rinoa exclaimed. "If it's dangerous for me when I'm in perfect health, how dangerous do you think it would be for *you* when you're injured?"  
  
Squall didn't know what to say to that. Finally, he just sighed and said, "Fine. But I want you to take someone along with you. To protect you."  
  
Rinoa nodded and thought for a minute. "How about Zell? I'm sure he'd be up for it."  
  
Squall didn't like the idea of Zell going with Rinoa to the cliff. Zell was a good friend, but he was a little immature at times, and this was very serious. Then again, Zell never let him down before, though he sometimes came quite close. "All right. Take Zell with you." Rinoa smiled.  
  
"Don't worry Squall, we'll be okay." And she hurried out the door.  
  
Squall sighed and laid his head back on the pillow, closing his tired eyes. "You'd better take care of her Zell..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So... you want me to go to that cliff with you, am I right?" Zell asked. Rinoa had just told him everything, starting at the letter Squall had gotten about his sister's death.  
  
"Well, yeah. Squall said it was the only way I could go - if I brought you with me. So... will you do it?" Rinoa asked hopefully.  
  
Zell sighed. "I guess I have to, huh? Squall will owe me though..." Zell rubbed his chin, as if he were pondering the idea. Rinoa playfully smacked his shoulder.  
  
"Come on Zell!" she pleaded.  
  
"All right, all right. Lead the way."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"There's the cliff," Rinoa said as she pointed out into the distance. Zell squinted in the harsh sun and whistled.  
  
"It's huge! How are we ever gonna get up there?"  
  
"Climb it, how else?" Rinoa began walking, but she was also watching out carefully for Vision. She found it odd that she hadn't seen it at all. But maybe that was because Squall wasn't there.  
  
"And you say this dog just... appears outta nowhere?" Zell asked as he and Rinoa made their way through the field. "Like a... ghost?"  
  
"It's a wolf Zell," Rinoa corrected him. "And no, it's not like a ghost, it's more like a... a guardian angel."  
  
Zell scoffed. "Guardian angel? Rin, you've been hanging around Selphie and all her crazy ideas too much." Rinoa threw him a glare and didn't speak. "Uh, sorry. I just meant that with all the trouble that's been happening, the wolf is more like a... a bad... thing."  
  
"Oh Zell, shut up."  
  
They reached the foot of the cliff in due time and Rinoa was disheartened that the wolf hadn't shown up. She wanted Zell to see it. She reached up and took hold of the small rocks that served as a ladder type structure and pulled herself up.  
  
"Do you even have any idea what you're doing?" Zell asked as he watched Rinoa climb up the side of the cliff.  
  
"No, but... What's so hard about it? There's footholes and rocks to hold onto galore. It'll be easy. Now come on." Zell sighed and followed Rinoa.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The pair was more than halfway up the cliff without trouble when a sudden noise broke through the still, thick air. It was Vision, and he was howling relentlessly. "Where's that coming from?" Zell asked from behind Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa pulled herself up a few more inches before replying. "I think it's coming from the top of the cliff."  
  
"No way. A wolf can't climb something like this. It has to be coming from below."  
  
Another howl sounded, and this time Rinoa was positive it had come from the top of the cliff. "Did you hear that? Vision's up there!" Rinoa quickened her pace, not taking as much care to be cautious as she had before.  
  
"Rinoa! Slow down! You're gonna slip!" Zell cried.  
  
She grasped another rock, but she didn't look to make sure it was safely attached to the cliff side. It crumbled instantly, and she began to fall. Zell reached out and swiftly grabbed her hand. "You okay?" he asked as he struggled to hold onto both Rinoa and the cliff.  
  
"I'm fine," she answered. "What about you? Can you hold on?"  
  
Zell was afraid to adjust his grip, in fear that he might slip as well in the process. "Just barely. I have an idea. Climb up my body and get back to where you were. Do you think you can do that?"  
  
"I think so." Slowly, she began to climb Zell as if he were a ladder, and was soon in front of him again. "Thanks Zell. I owe you one."  
  
"You're tellin' me," he replied smiling.  
  
When they finally reached the top of the cliff, which was more like a mountain, they both sat down and took a well deserved rest. "I don't see Vision..." Rinoa commented as she looked around.  
  
"I told ya it wasn't up here."  
  
Rinoa hung her head. "I guess you're right..." All of a sudden, they heard a noise from behind them. They turned to see Vision, standing beautifully before them. "There he is Zell! Isn't he gorgeous?" Rinoa whispered.  
  
"Whoa..." was all Zell could manage to say.  
  
Vision whined and motioned for them to follow him. They stood and followed it across the top of the cliff. It looked over the edge of the side opposite to the one they had climbed. It howled once again, without taking his eyes off what it saw down below.  
  
Zell and Rinoa peered over the edge. "Oh God..."  
  
  
  
What do they see? Stay tuned to find out. And why is Vision doing all this? I'll give you a hint, it has something to do with the title of this fic. Please review! This fic will probably be complete in a chapter or two, just to let ya'll know. 


	6. Silent Witness

Disclaimer: I only own Hannah, Vision and five dollars... Wait, no... checks wallet Hannah and Vision. That's all.  
  
A/N: Soooooo sorry for the long wait, but finally, after high demand (tch, yeah right...) here's the next and final chapter of 'Silent Witness'!!   
  
Rinoa immediatly felt sick. She pulled back from the edge and sat down on her knees. Zell on the other hand couldn't tear his eyes from the horrid sight. A small ledge was jutting out from the side of the cliff that faced the sea. Lying on that ledge, bloodied and mangled, was the body of a man, not appearing to be more than thirty years of age. A small dagger lied near the body. Soon, everything came together, for Rinoa at least.  
  
"Vision brought a dagger to Squall's feet a few nights ago," Rinoa told Zell, still sounding distant. "This must be why."  
  
Zell finally turned away from the horrible scene and looked over at Rinoa. He scooted towards her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Hey Rin... it's okay," he told her gently.  
  
"But I don't understand... What does this have to do with Squall? What does any of this have to do with him??" Rinoa sounded more angered and frustrated than scared now. She looked around to see Vision was gone again. He disappeared just like he always did whenever they were confused. He only taught them so much and then left them completely puzzled.  
  
"Was Hannah stabbed to death?" Zell asked.  
  
Rinoa thought a moment. "I don't know... Squall never said how she died, but on that letter Headmaster Cid gave him, it said she was brutally murdered. But still... This doesn't make sense at all!"  
  
"Come on. Let's go back to Garden and report this. Maybe Squall knows something yet that you don't." Zell helped Rinoa to her feet and they began to make their way back down the cliff.  
  
Squall heard the story, twice in fact, but he didn't understand the connection either. What did a man who had apparently stabbed himself to death have anything to do with him? He even thought that maybe that man was the one who killed Hannah, but that didn't make sense because why would he have done it?  
  
"What do you think Squall?" Rinoa asked softly.  
  
"I honestly have no idea..." Squall held his chin in his hand as if he were running all the information over and over again in his mind.  
  
Zell spoke up this time. "What about the police? They're up there investigating now. Maybe they'll find something out?" he suggested.  
  
Squall didn't respond right away. "The police won't find anything different than what you two saw."  
  
Rinoa and Zell exchanged an alomst puzzled glance. "What do you mean? They can test and find out who this guy is. Maybe he'll even turn out to be connected to your sister somehow," Rinoa told him.  
  
Squall shook his head. "No... There's only one person that knows what exactly's going on here..." He looked up at the pair. "Vision."  
  
"Squall... Let's get serious, man," Zell told him. "I mean... a wolf knows something that even the cops don't? That's a little farfetched Squall."  
  
Squall's turned angry. "Hey, Vision's the one who led us there in the first place! He's the one who dropped that knife at my feet. He's the one who kept showing up ever since I found out about Hannah! You think that's farfetched Zell? Well if you're not gonna help me figure this out, I'll do it myself." Squall swung his legs over the side of the Infirmary bed and stalked away, despite Rinoa's pleas for him to lie back down and rest.  
  
Squall slowly ambled through the grassy field near the cliff. He stood there and just gazed up at the looming, rocky structure and sighed. "Vision... can't you just make this easy and tell me what's going on?" He saw figures at the top of the cliff and figures at the foot. The police were there taking the body away and investigating, but they'd never find anything. Not anything they didn't already know anyway. Only Vision knew, as he said before. But Vision was like a ghost, only making small baby steps towards helping him solve this mystery.  
  
Slow, stalking footsetps, or in this case pawsteps, sounded behind him and he spun around, only to see that beautiful creature once again. "Vision..." he murmured as a small smile spread across his lips. "Can you tell me what's going on? ...Simply?"  
  
The wolf howled as it usually did and then stared him straight in the eyes. His eyes seemed to glow as Squall gazed deeper and deeper into them. Soon, the glowing light engulfed him and he was swept away into a vision...  
  
"Hannah, you can't just walk away like this!" The man from the ledge walked hurriedly behind the fifteen year old girl. He caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Caden, I don't wanna talk to you! Get out of here now!" Hannah yelled as she shook his grasp off.  
  
"Hannah, I love you..." Caden said quietly.  
  
Love? My teenage sister was going out with a grown man? Squall thought. Thinking about it disgusted him.  
  
Hannah turned to face Caden, her eyes burning wildly. "Well I don't love you Caden! Now just... just leave me alone!" Hannah turned back around and began walking away from him. Caden reached into his pocket for something, which turned out to be the same dagger that Vision had brought to Squall previously. Caden grabbed Hannah by the back of the neck and dragged her into a nearby alleyway.  
  
"You don't love me Hannah?!" he exclaimed crazily.  
  
"Caden... Don't..." Hannah pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes. "We can work it out, I promise..."  
  
Caden chuckled sinisterly. "Work it out? Oh yeah, Han... we can work it out..." He raised his arm that held out the knife and brought it down hard into Hannah's chest.  
  
"No!!!!" Squall screamed. The vision ended and Squall found himself back in the field with Vision. Talk about a pun Squall thought as he gripped his skull. "That was that man from the cliff..." Vision almost seemed to nod. "So he did kill Hannah... But... Why is he dead?"  
  
Vision howled again, and Squall was enveloped in another vision. This time, it was at the ledge on the cliff. Caden stood there, tears streaming down his face. He held the same knife in his hand.  
  
What's he doing...? Squall wondered. He saw Caden's mouth moving but he couldn't make out what he was saying. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. He watched as Caden lifted the knife and plunged it into his own body. That's when the second vision ended abruptly.  
  
"So he killed himself because he felt bad for doing what he did?" Squall asked the wolf. Vision's eyes glistened, and Squall took it as a yes. "How do you know all this? And... and why are you telling me?"  
  
Vision gazed up into the sky, which was already dark. There were no clouds in the entire sky except for a few small ones. Squall looked up as well. The clouds seemed to be shifting although there was no wind, not even a breeze. Squall squinted even harder as the clouds seemed to actually form letters. He read the words that formed. "Silent witness..." He looked back down to find Vision had disappeared.  
  
Squall lied in bed that night. For the first time in a few days, he was relaxed enough to actually be able to begin drifting off into peaceful slumber. Just as his eyes shut, the sound of Vision howling filled the night air. This time though, the howling was different. It was no longer mournful or dperessing. It was proud and joyous. Squall didn't feel haunted by it anymore. In fact, the melodious howling was what helped him fall asleep.  
  
THE END


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